Date: 07/02/2019

Number: 1

Personally, thus far this year has not been very good for spotting any Monarch eggs, caterpillars, or butterflies.

There are a number of fallow fields that I pass on my way to and from work (i.e., between Bellefonte, PA, and the University Park Airport, near State College, PA) that in the past have been good spots to find common milkweeds, along with Monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies. However, this Spring, probably because of the excessive rainfall (e.g., nearly double the normal amount for May) most of these fields did not get mowed until the end of June. By then they already had lots of healthy milkweeds growing (and probably some eggs and caterpillars), as shown in photo #1. Unfortunately, all that then got destroyed by the mowing, as shown in photo #2, perhaps losing a good portion of a generation of local Monarchs. Note in the photo that not only was the field mowed, but so were the plants on the roadside side of the fence.

Meanwhile, at home, in the past we've raised several dozen common, swamp, and tuberosa milkweeds in individual pots, on which we place found eggs and caterpillars and then bring them inside for their protection until as adults they're ready to be released. However, this year, knowing that I was going to have full left hip replacement surgery the beginning of July, it was clear that we were not going to be able to do the same this summer, which was just as well because when our potted milkweeds began sprouting this Spring, they quickly were attacked by hordes of oleander aphids. The same soon became true for the various milkweeds we have planted outside our house. Not a good year for healthy milkweeds, at least not in our neighborhood.

Granted, following my surgery thus far this summer, I'm not yet able to be out and about much, so my opportunities for observing Monarchs are pretty limited. And up until Friday (7/26/2019) we'd yet to spot any Monarchs on the wing or to find any eggs or caterpillars this year on our outside milkweed plants; just lots of aphids.     :-(

        - Tim

P.S. - See my Monarch reports (to be posted soon) for 7/26/2019 and 7/27/2019 for some better news about local Monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies.     :-)

Bellefonte, PA

Latitude: 40.9 Longitude: -77.8

Observed by: R. Timothy
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